Arthur Miller writes this play to warn us of the effects of mass hysteria and the way people conform to the crowd. Throughout this play we are shown that people will do dangerous and unethical things, I am going to write about who I thought was responsible for the prosecution of innocent people. Through this play we are shown that people do dangerous and unexpected things when they follow a crowd. I have come to reason that the three people most to blame for the witch hysteria and the subsequent death of innocent people are Abagail Williams, Ruth, Thomas Putnam and Reverend Parris. Each of th...

• Word Count: 551
• Approx Pages: 2

... often those that can gain something by ruining others reputations. In The Crucible, Miller illustrates through the Salem Witch Trials the mass paranoia and hysteria that occurs when people blindly accuse others of misdeeds. In The Crucible, the main accusers were those that wished to raise their power or social standing in society. Thomas Putman became a leader in the search for witches as a way to acquire more property. Once he ... by society, was even accused of witch craft. Those that dissented and tried to save others, also ended up being accused, as is evident in John Proctor's sit...

• Word Count: 491
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... to blame whether it be the girls, the negro slave, or even the Devil himself. The insanity that came about was an indication of the fear of individual freedom (Miller 6). In The Crucible, hysteria and hidden agendas break down the social structure and then everyone must protect themselves from the people that they thought were their friends. The church, the legal system, and the togetherness of the community died so that the girls and their families social status ... in the community when Thomas putnam states: I never heard you worried so on this society, Mr. Proctor. I do not think I s...

• Word Count: 1817
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

In Arthur Miller's, "The Crucible," many themes are expressed throughout the play. Themes are the undertone of the story. A theme of a book usually sets the mood and describes what is happening during the time that the story is written. "The Crucible" has many themes that show how everything was and how everyone acted in the year of 1692, in Salem, Massachusetts. Mass hysteria is the most obvious theme in the story. Mass hysteria is represented everywhere ... by God's laws. But this mixing up of the laws of God and the laws of government set up the chaos of the Salem witch trials. Greed and r...

• Word Count: 488
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School